Chapter 18
Six days later.
Just like the doctor said, I was completely healed.
When I told the boss I’d take a shower and come back, he said,
“Take another week off. Don’t come in.”
“You’re such a kind boss.”
I winked. He frowned and buried his face in his book.
While I was sick and groaning, he’d picked up a book to pass the time — now he had piles of them.
How adorable.
Feeling proud, I went to my room, showered, and came back out.
My body felt wonderfully light.
The boss told me to rest, but honestly, I wasn’t planning to.
I’d rested enough already — and besides, I had nowhere else to go.
Hanging out with the boss was way more fun.
I’ll surprise him — have breakfast together or something.
On my way down to the kitchen, Joshua spotted me and waved.
“Ptoo, ptoo!”
“How do I look?”
“Like you ate up all of Zer’s meals.”
That means I look healthier, right?
“Thanks.”
“You’re going to eat, right? Me too.”
“I’m eating with the boss.”
“Exactly! Me too!”
The snappy little chick looked ready to bite again, so I dodged around and slipped into the kitchen.
Ella was setting food on a tray when she saw me and smiled.
“Oh, Titia! You look all better now, don’t you?”
“Yes, completely!”
While I was being nursed by the boss, the servants had been taking turns bringing him meals.
Today was Ella’s turn, it seemed.
“That’s the boss’s breakfast, right?”
Ella nodded.
“I’ll take his meal along with mine and Joshua’s.”
“Are you sure you can handle it?”
“I’m fine now, really.”
“Working the moment you recover — how admirable!”
She affectionately ruffled my hair with her big hand and called toward the kitchen.
“Jack! Make meals for Titia and Joshua too! Something hearty for Titia — she’s been sick!”
“Meat! I want meat!”
Then Ella rested her hand on my head and said seriously,
“Titia, don’t bother the boss for a while. I don’t know why, but he was in a foul mood for four days straight.”
Yeah… probably because of me.
“I knew he could be grumpy, but when he gave me that look again, I almost cried.”
“You’ve worked hard.”
“He’s terrifying, honestly. Still such a gluttonous demon.”
Ella pinched Joshua’s cheek hard, and he kicked and flailed.
“Ow! What’s it to you!”
“I’m just sayin’, baby~”
“Get lost, idiot!”
“Kyeeh! Idiot yourself!”
Wow.
Joshua got so mad he let out a scream, and Ella laughed heartily and walked off.
“I really like Ella. She’s so bold and refreshing.”
“You say that after she just bullied me?!”
“That’s why I like her.”
“Hey!”
“Just kidding.”
“You’re insane. You freeze up around Zer and Veilt, but with me—!”
He grumbled all the way upstairs, tray in hand, swearing at Ella.
Enough already — my ears are going to burst.
And my arms were aching from dragging the tray; it was heavier than usual because Joshua’s share was enormous.
At least he stopped complaining and started humming, wiggling his hips.
“Food from the human world really is tastier than in the demon realm.”
“What do demons even eat?”
“Mostly monsters.”
“We don’t eat that.”
“I know!”
We bickered lightly until the boss’s door came into view. Then Joshua ditched me and sprinted inside.
I stood at the door, wiping sweat from my forehead after hauling the heavy tray.
The boss looked up and widened his eyes. Yes — that’s the reaction I wanted.
“…Why are you here?”
“I’m all better, so of course I should serve you personally again!”
“I told you to rest…”
“Playing with you is resting. Oh, and—”
As I tried to push the tray inside, the boss came out, took it from me, and carried it in himself.
I followed him in, wiping more sweat off.
“Ah, thank you, boss, for coming all the way out— Wait.”
He’d moved so naturally I almost didn’t notice. Then it hit me.
“Boss, you came outside the door. Do you realize that?”
“…What? No, I didn’t.”
He shook his head, but I insisted.
“You did! I was outside, and you walked out to take the tray from me!”
“That’s impossible…”
“It’s not!”
The shriek came — not from me, but from Joshua.
Joshua yanked me back out the door in a panic.
“What are you doing?”
He rubbed his eyes, looked down at the floor, rubbed again, looked again — over and over.
Then, eyes wide as plates, he murmured, voice trembling,
“I wasn’t wrong…”
He dragged the boss over and pointed at the floor beneath my feet.
“Look at the range! The boundary’s widened — see? That circular space? You stepped outside because the range expanded without you realizing it! Right?!”
The boss’s lips trembled as he stared, confused.
“Why is that…”
Anyone want to translate that for me?
“The boundary’s expanded!”
“And… no one’s dead?”
“No one died!”
Joshua threw his arms up, bouncing around the room.
“No one died! The curse didn’t trigger! If someone had died because you stepped out of range, I’d know it immediately!”
…People dying? Range? What are they even talking about?
I didn’t understand a word, but I had enough sense to realize this wasn’t my cue to interrupt.
Then Joshua yanked down the boss’s shirt collar, revealing a tattoo of a serpent coiled across his shoulder.
“Hey—!”
The boss flinched, but Joshua nodded, eyes sharp.
“The snake mark’s lighter. Barely noticeable, but I can tell. This isn’t temporary — otherwise, the tattoo wouldn’t fade at all.”
A snake tattoo?
Between the snake and talk of death, this really must be connected to demons…
Well, Joshua is one.
“That space — she’s the center of it.”
He pointed straight at me.
“There’s something about her!”
There’s nothing about me, I swear.
“Without her, the space collapses. But if the boundary’s wider now, that means we’ve found a clue to breaking the curse!”
Joshua grabbed my skirt hem and shook it.
“What are you really?”
“Uh… a girl born to the Angela family, lived as the ugly duckling, ran away before being sold to William—”
“That’s not what I meant!”
Then what did you mean?
The boss sighed.
“She really doesn’t know.”
“Looks that way.”
Joshua gave me a pitying look.
Is ignorance a crime now?
“Did I do something wrong? Am I fired?”
Was it a sin to comfort my boss until he felt better? Did it look like I was manipulating him?
The boss covered my mouth with his hand and sighed.
“No… nothing like that.”
“Right! Fired? No way! From now on, you’re with us for life!”
…Did I just get proposed to?
Joshua dragged me to the sofa; the boss followed awkwardly and sat opposite.
Only Joshua looked excited.
“This is top secret! You have to keep quiet!”
Apparently he was finally going to explain all this weirdness.
“Got it.”
I’m good at keeping secrets, you know.
Joshua looked pleased.
“Ptoo ptoo says she understands.”
The boss pressed his fingers to his forehead and sighed again.
Somehow, I had a feeling I’d just become his biggest headache.
Please, don’t lump me together with this demon.
“…You actually believe her words? She’s a demon.”
“You underestimate the power of words! Demons know that — that’s why we tempt humans with words before showing our true power…”
“Enough, you.”
“Yes, sir!”
“I’ll give you a bonus and extra pay.”
“Really? Thank you.”
Ah, my bank account was going to get fatter again.
The boss went silent, staring at me.
“…”
“Should I have given a longer thank-you speech?”
Should I sing my gratitude next time?
“Don’t most people ask why they’re getting extra pay, instead of just accepting it?”
“Joshua said he’s telling me a top secret, right? I assumed it’s hush money.”
“That — and your ability! The fact that no one died is huge—”
“Joshua.”
“What!”
He didn’t seem to know what he’d done wrong, but he was clearly thrilled.
“See? I told you! We can trust Ptoo ptoo! I knew I could tell her everything!”
The boss rubbed his face in disbelief — then told me a number.
An amount so enormous, I couldn’t have imagined it.
